Apparatus for weighing and dumping coal



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

P.. J. QUIRK. APPARATUS FOR WEIGHING AND DUMPING GOAL. No. 594,427.Patented Nov. 30,1897.

"rm: Noam: PETERS co, mom-Lima. wsumrrron, a. c.

[No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

P. J. QUIRK. APPARATUS FOR WEIGHING AND DUMPING GOAL.

N0. 594,421 P tentid N01. 30, 1897.

w L. 1mm. m M

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo Gnu:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PETER J. QUIRK, OF DES MOINES, IOWA.

APPARATUS FOR WEIGHING AND DUMPENG CQAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 594,437, dated November30, 1897.

Application filed June 26, 1897. serial No. 642,538. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PETER J. QUIRK, a citizen of the United States,residing at Des Moines, in the county of Polk and State of Iowa, haveinvented a new and useful Apparatus for Weighing and Dumping Goal, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide an apparatus designed to beplaced at the end of a chute leading from a coal-mine or any similarlocation to receive and contain a quantity of coal as it is dumped fromthe mine-elevator and to automatically weigh the coal thus received andheld and indicate the weight upon a suitable dial, and, further, toprovide simple, convenient, and easily-operated means whereby the coalthus held and weighed may be discharged into a car or wagon 'or the likeand then the apparatus be automatically returned toits normal position,ready to receive another quantity of coal.

My invention consists in certain details in the construction,arrangement, and combination of the receiving and Weighing device, andalso in the construction, arrangement, and combination therewith of themeans for discharging the same into a car or wagon, as hereinafter morefully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 shows a side elevation of thecomplete apparatus with parts of the frame broken away to show certaindetails of construction and also showing by dotted lines the position inwhich the apparatus would stand when discharging its contents into a caror wagon, and showing, further, by dotted lines the position of the gate18 and its hinge 10 when closed. Fig. 2 shows a front elevation of thecomplete device, shown in its open position ready to discharge into acar or wagon.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, I have used thereference-numeral 10 to indicate the frame of the device. This may be ofany ordinary construction and has four uprights at its corners.

The reference-numeral 11 indicates a metal frame supported within theframe 10 upon the springs 12. The frame 11 is designed to support thehopper or receptacle in which the coal is held and which is indicated bythe reference-numeral 18. This hopper has its bottom inclined toward thefront at an angle approximating forty-five degrees, so that its contentswill freely slide downwardly toward the front when the front is open. Atthe sides of the frame 11 and hopper 13 are straight-edged tracks 1% and15. The reference-numeral 16 indicates guides fixed to the frame 10 anddesigned to receive the tracks 14 and 15, to thereby permit their freevertical movement and limit or prevent any lateral movement. Theaforesaid hopper is open at its top, so that coal may be dischargedthereinto from a chute, and at the front face of the hopper is a fixedcross-piece17, and to this cross-piece a gate 18 is connected by meansof the hinges 19, so that its lower end may swing outwardly. Iivoted tothe lower end portion of this gate 18 at its outer surface are twogravity-latches 20, their outer ends being supported in the brackets 21.I11 the front edges of the side pieces of the hopper 13 I have providedthe notches 22, designed to receive the outer ends of thegravity-latches 20, and so arranged that when the gate 18 is permittedto drop by gravity the said latches will enter the notches 22 and dropbehind the shoulders of the said notches and thus securely lock the gate18. Hence as soon as the gate 18 of the device is released it willautomatically drop and lock itself in position to receive and retain aquantity of coal.

The reference-numeral 23 is used to indicate a shaft rotatably mountedin suitable bearings in the frame 10 and having on one or both of itsends an indicator 24L. Suitable dials or segmental scales 25 are fixedto the frame 10 in positions where they maybe readily seen by theoperator of the apparatus and upon which the said dials operate. On thecentral portion of the shaft 23 is a pinion 26. 27 indicates a rackfixed to the side of the hopper or receptacle 13 and meshed with thepinion 26. By this arrangement it isobvious that when coal is placed inthe hopper or receptacle 13 the same will be lowered as the springs 12are compressed, and this lowering of the hopper or receptacle willobviously cause the rack 27 to rotate the pinion 26, and the indicator24 will point out upon the dial or segmentalseale the number of tens orfrac tional parts thereof that are contained within the receptacle orhopper.

I have provided means whereby the 0011- tents of the hopper orreceptacle 13 may be easily and quickly discharged therefrom andconducted through a suitable chute or trough to a point ofdischarge-such, for instance, as a car or wagonas follows:

The reference-numeral 98 is used to indicate a chute or trough, which ispivotally connected with the bottom and lower edge of the hopper 13 bymeans of the hinges 2t). Springs 30 are wound upon the pintle of thesaid hinge, and one end of each spring is made to engage the undersurface of the hopper or receptacle and the other the under surface ofthe said trough or chute to thereby normally hold the trough or chute inan elevated positionthat is, parallel with the front face of the hopperor receptacle l3and this chute or hopper is so arranged that when drawnto its lower limit, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1, it willprovide a continued surface with the bottom of the hopper or receptacleand convey the contents of the said hopper or receptacle to a point ofdischarge at its outer end.

The .reference-numerals 31 indicate arms which are attached to the sidesof the chute or trough 28 to project at approximately right anglesrelative thereto, and on the outer ends of said arms are the lugs 32.These arms are arranged in such a position that when the chute or trough28 is moved from its normal position in a vertical plane downwardly thearms 31 will before the chute reaches its lower position, as indicatedby dotted lines at 28, engage the outer ends of the latches 20 andelevate them so that they will pass out of the notches 22. Then the lugs32 on the said arms 31 will engage the said latches and force the hingedgate 18 outwardly and upwardly, as may also be seen upon reference tothe dotted lines in Fig. 1. This of course will permit the contents ofthe hopper or receptacle 1 to discharge through the chute or trough 2S,and when it has thus discharged the operator may release the rope 233,which is attached to an eye 31 on the chute or trough 2S, whereupon thesprings 30 will operate to move the chute or trough to its upward limitor folded position.

In practical use, assuming that my improved weighing and dumpingapparatus were located at the end of the discharge-chute of amine-elevator, itis obvious that the coal may be taken from the mine andthe elevator dumped into the hopper or receptacle of my apparatus thesame as is now ordinarily done. An operator may at any time ascertainthe exact weight of the coal contained within the hopper or receptacleof the apparatus. lvhcn this amount is sutlicient for his purpose, allthat is necessary is for him to pull upon the rope 3-3, whereupon thechute or trough 28 is lowered and the contents of the hopper orreceptacle automatically discharged therefrom. This is done veryquickly, and as soon as the rope 33 is released the device willautomatically close and be ready to receive further discharges from themine-elevator.

Having thus described the construction, arrai'igement, and function ofthe various parts of the weighing and dumping apparatus, what I claim asmy invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited Statestherefor, is

1. A weighing and dumping apparatus, comprising in combination, asupportingframe, a hopper or receptacle slid'ingly mounted therein, andhavingan inclined bottom, means whereby the said hopper or receptacle isdepressed a distance proportionate to the amount of weight containedtherein, a gate at the front of the hopper hinged at its upper end sothat its lower end may swing outwardly, gravity-latches on the said gateto enter notches in the side of the hop per, a shaft rotatably mountedin the stia tionary frame, auindieator on the end of the shaft, and apinion-wheel on its central portion, a segmental scale fixed to theframe in proximity to the indicator, a rack fixed to the hopper orreceptacle to mesh with the said pinion-wheel, a trough or chute hingedto the lower corner of the hopper or receptacle, means for normallyholdingthc same elevated, and arms formed on or fixed to the said chuteor trough to engage the said gravity-latches and release them when thesaid chute or trough is pulled downwardly, all arranged and combinedsubstantially in the manner set forth and forthe purposes stated.

2. A weighing and dumping apgaratus, comprising in combination, a frame,a hopper having an inclined bottom slidingly mounted within the saidframe, extensile coilsprings fixed. to the said frametosupport thehopper, guides arranged to permit a free vertical movement of the hopperand to prevent a lateral movement thereof, a gate at the front of thehopper hinged atits upyin' end so that its lower end may swingoutwardly, gravity-lat'ches on the said gate to enter notches in thesides of the hopper, a shaft rotatably mounted in the stationary frame,an indicator on its end and a pinion on its central portion, asegmentalscale fixed to the frame in proximity to the iinlicator, a rack lixedtothe hopper or receptacle to mesh with the said pinion, a trough or chutehinged to the lower corner of the hopper or receptacle, springs fornormally holding the same elevated, and arms formed on or fixed to thesaid chute or trough to engage the said gravity-latches and release themwhen the said chute ortrough is pulled downwardly, all arranged andcombined substantially in the manner set forth and for the purposesstated.

Witnesses:

J. RALPH Onwto, Tuonas G. Onwrc.

IIO

